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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: mcneilsassassin on June 14, 2006, 09:45:21 am

Title: 360 degree STEERING WHEELS for PC's
Post by: mcneilsassassin on June 14, 2006, 09:45:21 am

I am an old video gamer but a MAME newbie. I want to know if a 360 degree steering wheel exist that is USB supported and that can be used on a laptop. I want to play Turbo and Pole Position on a Compaq Presario 1720 US laptop. I would appreciate any suggestions. The Universal Rumble Wheel by Go-Pro is worthless. Thanks for any help.

Title: Re: 360 degree STEERING WHEELS for PC's
Post by: Minwah on June 14, 2006, 09:49:03 am

AFAIK no 360 PC wheel exists....basically as games are not made that require it.

Your best bet is to hack an old arcade wheel to a mouse device or optic encoder - there should be plenty of info on this on this board :)

Title: Re: 360 degree STEERING WHEELS for PC's
Post by: mcneilsassassin on June 14, 2006, 10:00:42 am

Thanks for your quick response. However, all that you said is well above me. Where would I start? I guess I have a lot of learning to do , thanks.

Title: Re: 360 degree STEERING WHEELS for PC's
Post by: horseboy on June 14, 2006, 10:19:53 am

Quote from: mcneilsassassin on June 14, 2006, 10:00:42 am

Where would I start?

With a search.  :cheers:

Title: Re: 360 degree STEERING WHEELS for PC's
Post by: Kremmit on June 14, 2006, 11:55:14 pm

Info on mouse hacking can be found here:
http://mamewah.mameworld.net/mousehack.htm

Or, if you're not comfortable with ripping open a mouse and soldering, you could just buy one of these:

http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76_85&products_id=260 (http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76_85&products_id=260)
or one of these:
http://www.ultimarc.com/optipac1.html (http://www.ultimarc.com/optipac1.html)

Then you'll need an arcade 360 degree wheel.  Pole Position wheels come up on ebay a lot, but most any wheel from a 360 degree game can be used.  I'd avoid Ivan Stewart's Super Off-Road, though- they use special funky optics that won't interface properly.

Once you get your wheel and mouse-hack (or encoder), holler for help if you need it.

Title: Re: 360 degree STEERING WHEELS for PC's
Post by: horseboy on June 15, 2006, 12:45:45 am

Many of the wheels on Ebay have encoder wheels, but not the optic boards. The 3 I got didn't have optic boards, but I got these..
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=48855.0 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=48855.0)
Highly recomended. They also eliminate the need to worry about the Off Road wheels as well.

Title: Re: 360 degree STEERING WHEELS for PC's
Post by: Kremmit on June 16, 2006, 12:52:00 am

Quote from: horseboy on June 15, 2006, 12:45:45 am

Many of the wheels on Ebay have encoder wheels, but not the optic boards. The 3 I got didn't have optic boards, but I got these..
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=48855.0 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=48855.0)
Highly recomended. They also eliminate the need to worry about the Off Road wheels as well.

Not necessarily.  Some Off-Road wheels have a cup-shaped encoder, rather than the more traditional disk-shaped one.  These need a curved optic, like the one you see on Missile Command trackballs, and the ones in the recent Pole Position Wheel thread.  Cup-shaped encoder wheels wouldn't work with those replacement optics.

Title: Re: 360 degree STEERING WHEELS for PC's
Post by: NoOne=NBA= on June 16, 2006, 01:03:56 am

I've gotten Oscar's older-style optic boards to work with my Off-Road wheels, but not the newer ones.
The newer ones he has have the sensors closer together, and the curved wheel won't fit through them.
The only thing needed to interface the older boards to the wheel was a couple pieces of foam tape.
They just tape right to the existing mounting bracket, and work.